Jen Cummins (Dublin South Central, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Coppinger as an tairiscint seo. While writing my speech, I found the words came with great difficulty. This was not because I did not know what to say, it was because I was afraid that once I started to speak I would not be able to stop and would get so annoyed that my words would go beyond what is allowable in this Chamber.

Having listened to testimonies from people around the country, I cannot help but be furious and frightened. In the late 1990s, I worked in a domestic violence project service in London for Irish women. As a very young person straight out of college, I was struck by how many services were available there for women from all over the world. I am afraid that the situation has not improved since the late 1990s. However, this is not about me. I am a public representative and am here to be a voice for others who have been subjected to gender-based violence. This issue affects people of all ages, classes, colours, creeds and jobs. One group contacted me - and I am sure they have contacted others - to say that of the 174 of us in this Chamber, 59 have perhaps been subjected to sexual violence. I am sure Deputies have received many emails urging them to support this motion. We live in time in which women are being murdered, with six so far this year. Last night newspapers reported that another woman has been killed on a ferry. Calls to Women's Aid and other domestic violence services are at an all time high. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is inundated with requests for support. Things are out of control.

Deputy Coppinger's motion highlights many matters that we need to address. One of the things I find most galling - many speakers have mentioned it - is the fact that when someone has experienced gender-based violence and goes for counselling, this can be used against them. The Minister of State indicated that it is set out in this way to prevent unfair trials, but who is being treated unfairly? Who is it pitched against?

Looking through lens of education, we can see that violence in the home is detrimental to learning and long-term educational retention.

In 2015, it was found that 40% of cases referred to Women's Aid involved children who had experienced and lived with domestic violence. They also experienced physical and sexual abuse. In 2023, 4,478 incidents of child abuse were disclosed to women's aid. I have read findings that in Europe 73% of women who experienced physical or sexual violence by a current or previous partner indicated their children had become aware of that violence. How can a child or young person learn when they are living in a home where there is violence, control or abuse? How can they focus on homework or study for an exam? How can they do their college assignments? The short answer is that they cannot do these things. Their trauma and adverse childhood experiences envelop them and they go into survival mode. To learn one needs to be able to relax, be comfortable and to have a structure. This is very hard when there is shouting, screaming, crying, violence and fear.

Then there are young people who are in intimate relationships and who are affected by this. If they are in a learning environment, how are they supposed to do their college work or their further education work? A total of 51% of young women affected said they had been abused under the age of 18. One in five young women in Ireland have been subjected to intimate relationship abuse. How can these young women who are in college or starting their careers be at the level they need to be at? They cannot achieve what they would like to do. It is not acceptable. We need to act now. I am very happy the Government will not oppose the motion.

See this speech in context